Around 2,000 millionaires – many of them billionaires – call Monte Carlo their home and avoid paying billions of euros in tax. Sputnik spoke to the UK Socialist Party’s Deputy General Secretary, Hannah Sell, about why France and the European Union have done nothing to combat this tax haven in...

In early April 2017, an important taxation agreement between Monaco and Italy came into force… As a direct result, Monaco now appears on the Italian ‘White List’ of tax compliant jurisdictions. The Agreement creates both opportunities and challenges for companies or individuals that fall within its scope, and is an...

Monaco has ratified the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. The ratification underlines Monaco’s commitment to fighting tax evasion and avoidance. It also means the principality has taken another important step in implementing the Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters, developed by the...

Also commits to country-by-country reporting Cayman has committed in principle to a project reforming the application of tax rules in cross-border business to combat the erosion of tax bases and the artificial shifting of profits to low or no-tax jurisdictions. Developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, base...

Pyrenees principality approves automatic sharing of information on accounts held by non-residents from EU countries Andorran lawmakers have agreed to end banking secrecy in the Pyrenees mountains principality, approving automatic sharing of information on accounts held by non-residents. The General Council, Andorra’s unicameral parliament, approved a measure that will come...

European Union member countries are considering a “substance test” to determine whether a country or jurisdiction with a zero corporate tax rate qualifies as a tax haven that doesn’t reflect “real economic activity.” After a host of EU member countries rejected in early November the use of a zero corporate...

A “number” of European Union countries are blocking a push to include zero corporate tax rates as criteria for the bloc’s tax haven blacklist, according to Slovakia, which holds the rotating EU presidency. EU members have been unable to reach an agreement on cracking down on offshore structures aimed at...

Ireland, accused of being a tax haven for multinationals such as Apple to pay nearly zero tax on the bulk of its profits earned outside the United States, finds itself with a new adversary in the global fight against unfair tax practices — Brazil. As of October 1, Brazil will...

A list on non-cooperative tax jurisdictions around the world, the first ever common EU list, is being under preparation, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici has said. “This month, we started the process that will lead, by the end of 2017, to the first ever...

NEW DELHI: Aiming to curb tax evasion and avoidance, India has operationalised the Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with Seychelles, one of the major sources of foreign investment into the country. The agreement will enable the authorities of both nations to provide assistance through exchange of tax and banking information,...

The EU has signed a fiscal transparency agreement with Monaco in an attempt to stop Europeans hiding undeclared income in the Mediterranean principality. EurActiv Spain reports. Famous for its glamorous casinos and annual Formula One race, Monaco is also known for not levying income tax and for being somewhat of...

Of the 2,000 plus offshore accounts that HSBC was alleged to have been associated with, as per the Panama Papers leak, only 5% were still active, HSBC chairman Douglas Flint has said. Speaking at the bank’s annual general meeting, he said the leaks indicated the need for banks to keep...

In their latest attempt to try to stamp out tax avoidance by multinationals in the European Union, lawmakers are set to question Apple, Google, IKEA and McDonald’s over their tax affairs as EU member states fail to agree a common tax policy. Lawmakers in the EU have struggled to prevent...

For several years now Google has been facing what appears to be a case of tax avoidance in the UK, at some point in time, the company went as far saying it did not make any money from business in the UK all in a desperate attempt to pay less...

The EU and Andorra have signed a new tax transparency agreement that will make it harder for EU citizens to stash undeclared income in financial institutions in Andorra. The agreement is in line with EU’s effort to increase tax transparency and tackle tax avoidance and evasion. This deal complies with...

If Swiss banking secrecy laws gave Switzerland the world banking capital status, Monaco’s residence policy gives its realtors a thriving business. What is common between the Canadian Raonic who lost in the Australian Open semifinals and the Serbian Djokovic who won it? Well, they are both residents of Monaco, and...

The UAE is one of the few places in the world where expats can live, earn and keep those well-earned dirhams, as income tax is still not in sight. This benefit has earned the country many rankings as one of the best immigration destinations in the world. Apart from good...

Bermuda has “long been a popular tax haven” according to a story by gobankingrates.com, which ranked the island as one of the “top 10 best tax havens in the world.” The story said “Bermuda has long been a popular tax haven, said Ravi Ramnarain, an independent certified public accountant. “Wealthy...

Most people with undisclosed Swiss bank accounts have, by definition, something to hide. Secrets, however, sometimes don’t remain secret, especially when they involve someone else’s money. While disclosing the names and financial details of Swiss bank account holders has recently come into vogue, a whistleblower may have just as murky...

Given that the latest treaty was signed on 15 November 1967, the two countries felt it was appropriate to revise it in full. The new treaty, signed on Tuesday by the Spanish Ambassador to Finland, María Jesús Figa, and the Finnish Minister for Finance, Alexander Stubb, seeks to enable tax...

On December 15, 2015 the OECD issued a press release announcing that on that same date Monaco signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA), bringing the total number of signatories to 76. According to the overview of Signatories of the MCAA and the intended first information exchange date, Monaco intends...

Half of requests to come clean came from Lombardy (ANSA) – Rome, December 9 – The government’s voluntary disclosure program will generate four billion euros in taxes by year’s end, Internal Revenue chief Rossella Orlandi said Wednesday. Hidden assets equal to 59.5 billion euros have emerged thanks to the voluntary...

ROME—The Italian government will pocket over €4 billion ($4.4 billion) in proceeds from a tax amnesty it launched as part of a broad crack down on Italian money stashed abroad. The additional money will be a boon for the government, as it seeks to meet its budget targets amid a...

The present French Tax Update contains (i) an overview of the main provisions proposed by the draft amending finance bill for 2015 (loi de finances rectificative pour 2015, 2015 Draft Amending Finance Bill), (ii) an update of the parliamentary amendments adopted in respect of the draft finance bill for 2016...

The new agreement marks the end of bank secrecy between San Marino and the EU. As of 2017, San Marino and EU Member States will automatically exchange information on the financial accounts of one another’s residents. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “This agreement...

Switzerland’s EFG Bank is to pay a penalty of $29m to the US Department of Justice to avoid prosecution for helping its American account holders evade taxes. The bank came forward as part of a voluntary programme launched in 2013, which allows Swiss banks to admit their potential role in...

East African countries expect to collect more revenue under a new code drawn, by the world’s richest economies to stop foreign multinationals from dodging taxes in host countries. The new code — Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) — adopted by G20 at its meeting in Turkey two weeks ago,...

As Common Reporting Standard (CRS) comes into operation. OHANNESBURG – South Africans with undeclared offshore funds may only have a few months to get their affairs in order or risk facing significant penalties and even criminal prosecution as revenue authorities start the automatic exchange of information. The Common Reporting Standard...

On the day he took office as Greece’s shipping minister in June 2012, Kostis Moussouroulis received a visit from a 90-year-old shipowner. He still remembers the older man’s words: “Don’t forget, the best minister of shipping and maritime affairs is the minister who is doing nothing for the shipping industry....

ITR Correspondent Italy has updated its rules governing transactions with parties located in tax havens. Following a legislative process which began in 2013, the Italian Government on September 14 2015 enacted a decree addressing a wide array of international tax matters, including one of the most controversial Italian tax rules...

The Council of European Union has revoked Directive 2003/48/EC, which has allowed tax administrations better access to information on private savers since 2005. By revoking the directive, which is part of a tax transparency package presented by the Commission in March this year, the Council says it strengthens measures to...

Today the EU and Andorra initialled the text of a new tax transparency agreement, marking another important step forward in the fight against tax evasion. Under the new agreement, Andorra and EU Member States will automatically exchange information on the financial accounts of each other’s residents from 2018. Pierre Moscovici,...

Faced with outrage from over a dozen otherwise placid Caribbean nations, D.C. officials are backtracking on a plan to openly call out countries it says allow big U.S. businesses to skip out on paying local taxes. At issue is a change to existing tax law made through the 2016 D.C....

Faced with outrage from over a dozen otherwise placid Caribbean nations, D.C. officials are backtracking on a plan to openly call out countries it says allow big U.S. businesses to skip out on paying local taxes. At issue is a change to existing tax law made through the 2016 D.C....

Under the new agreement, Liechtenstein and EU Member States will automatically exchange information on the financial accounts of each other’s residents from 2017. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “Today the EU and Liechtenstein are sending out a clear message: we are partners in...

THE NUMBER of Slovak companies with ownership registered in a tax haven decreased in the first half of 2015 by 112, to a total of 4,250. The biggest outflows were recorded in Monaco and the British island of Jersey. The declining trend of companies selecting a tax haven for their...

A retired millionaire property mogul could lose a £5.5million tax break because his domestic goddess wife’s ‘great cooking’ brought him back to the UK too often, the High Court has heard. James Glyn has insisted he was resident in Monaco when he received a £24million dividend from selling off his...

EY: Four out of 10 Czech businessmen asked for bribe Four out of 10 Czech entrepreneurs have been explicitly asked for a bribe and up to six out of 10 have encountered the possibility of gaining an advantage in their business in exchange for a bribe, according to a survey...

After confirming that he would take part in the final round of the 2015 World Superbike Championship in Qatar, Max Biaggi’s presence at Losail this weekend is no longer a sure thing. The multiple World Champion has taken a fall from his mountain bike and sustained muscular injuries that may...

A financial adviser and a group of film producers who set up an international scheme are facing a trial for fraud. It is alleged the scheme, which took advantage of the tax relief the UK Government offers the film industry, created the appearance of huge “paper losses”, The Times reported...

A financial adviser is one of the five defendants embroiled in a court battle after facing allegations of setting up a £262 million tax avoidance scheme. In a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, financial adviser Norman Leighton, chartered accountant and film producer Keith Hayley, producer Robert Bevan, Charles Savill and...

The deadline for participation in Italy’s current voluntary disclosure program has been extended from September 30 to November 30, 2015, following the decision taken at a Cabinet meeting on September 28, reports Tax News. In addition, those individuals who file an application form to enter the program by the new...

Consolidation in Europe’s private-banking industry is inevitable as pressure from clients and regulators increases costs, McKinsey & Co said in a study published yesterday. Pressures on profit margins could force private banks to cut costs and review the number of booking centers they operate, the New York-based consultancy said. The...

Kenneth Leung (PC,F-Accountancy) explains what he – and the government – are doing to get Hong Kong off the EU’s undeserved blacklisting as a “non-cooperative tax jurisdiction”. Why has Hong Kong been placed on this list? There are ten European countries that have named Hong Kong as a tax haven....

The General Manager of the Italian Revenue Agency, Rossella Orlandi, has confirmed that there have so far been 10,000 requests to enter into Italy’s current voluntary disclosure program, compared with only around 1,000 applications received by May. The program allows taxpayers who apply by September 30 to regularize undeclared capital...

Italy’s Cabinet on August 7 approved legislation to ratify the tax agreements signed with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Monaco. The protocol to the existing double tax agreement between Italy and Switzerland was signed on February 23, 2015. The Cabinet noted that, once the protocol enters into force following ratification by both...

To check black money generation, the government today approved signing and ratification of the agreement between India and Seychelles for exchange of information with respect to taxes, reports the Economic Times. The agreement will stimulate the information exchange between India and Seychelles for tax purposes, which will help curb tax...

Over the past few weeks the European Union has published a list of 30 countries which have been listed as non-cooperative jurisdictions. This publication was part of a wider publication: the “Action Plan for Fair and Efficient Corporate Taxation in the EU” which also includes the Re-Launching of the CCCTB....

Two more Swiss banks have agreed deals with the US Justice Department over tax evasion by Americans, reports BBC News. Banque Pasche will pay US$7.22m (£4.7m) and Arvest Privatbank US$1.04m in penalties under a deal that means they will not face criminal charges. Fifteen Swiss banks have already cut deals...